Common opal can be found all over the world, but the precious, coloured opal of Lightning Ridge is exceedingly rare. The traditional owners of this land have a longstanding relationship with opal.

Opal’s value is based on quality, not where it was mined. Fine opal comes from many different localities, including Lightning Ridge in Australia.

And a lot of the black opal is found here, at Lightning Ridge. It's located on the edge of the Outback, with a population of just over 2,000 people. Miners have been searching for opal here for ...

Opal’s value is based on quality, not where it was mined. Fine opal comes from many different localities, including Lightning Ridge in Australia.

The "echidnapus", bottom left, is among six monotreme species discovered at Lightning Ridge opal fields Scientists have discovered a bizarre creature dubbed the "echidnapus" which they believe ...

“They most certainly look genuine opal and diamond,” another agreed — and so do the experts. Sebastian Heffernan from Lightning Ridge Opal mines told Yahoo News that while it’s difficult to determine ...

Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. After reading several reviews on opal stores in Lightning Ridge, my wife and I went into Down to Earth. The staff was very friendly, educated us on the ...

The NSW Government is committed to taking steps to protect the interests of both the opal mining industry and landholders and minimise land conflict.